Capping enrollment or redistricting are not likely to be high on the list of possible remedies for the 12 overcrowded elementary schools in the York Road corridor, according to a discussion during the Baltimore County Board of Education's work session on Sept. 20.
On Sept. 20,board members discussed the report on school enrollment and capacity presented by Kara Calder, executive director of planning and support operations.
Projected capacity figures for September show Hampton Elementary on the high end of the enrollment list at 171.66 percent of its capacity, and Warren Elementary at the low end of the list at 103.29 percent of its capacity.
In between, in descending order, are Sparks, Lutherville, Padonia, Stoneleigh, Pot Spring, West Towson, Timonium, Riderwood, Rodgers Forge and Pinewood elementary schools.
A preliminary count of students that are already in classrooms reveals that eight of the schools have already exceeded the school system's projections for this year — an official count to be performed Sept. 30 may reveal a bigger or smaller head count.
By 2015, all 12 schools are collectively projected to be 719 seats above capacity, according to the report.
What to do? Consider building a new 700-seat school on county-owned land in Mays Chapel or Dulaney Springs, the report suggests. If it were fast-tracked, it could be ready by 2013.
What to do in the meantime? The report includes strategies ranging from high-cost measures such as new buildings, additions, renovations and the purchase of classroom "relocatable" trailers, to lower cost measures such as different uses of existing resources and annexing, redistricting or placing enrollment caps on certain schools.
The latter two are controversial. Officials noted that a key factor in where families choose to buy a home is the school that serves their children, the opportunities it offers, its quality — and its proximity.
A well-regarded school district can also figure in property values and resale.
An enrollment cap — designed to prevent a school from being further overcrowded — would force some students who normally are eligible to enroll because they live in a certain school's boundaries, to enroll in another school instead.
"There are no caps now," Calder said, "but it is a relief strategy that is sometimes necessary."
However, "it's a short-term solution for a limited number of students, and it doesn't extend into the following school year," she said.
The PTA of Rodgers Forge Elementary School, which had a capacity of 396 students and a student body of nearly 700 before West Towson Elementary opened last August, is wary of capping.
Now that West Towson is overcrowded, the Rodgers Forge PTA fears the county may cap West Towson's enrollment — and funnel new students to Rodgers Forge, overcrowding it again.
But Superintendent Joe Hairston pointed out during the session that the school system has only capped one school in 12 years.
While the system has to look at every option possible to solve the problem, capping enrollment wouldn't be the first, second, third, fourth of even fifth choice, Hairston said.
There also was little enthusiasm for redistricting as a strategy.
Using it to balancing enrollment among the 12 elementary schools is clearly not feasible, said the report, ""because there is no sufficient capacity in any of the schools to satisfy the need."
"It would be inappropriate as a relief measure without adding new seats," Calder said. "We know it would be a very unpopular situation.
Board member Rodger Janssen recalled the county hired a consultant eight or nine years ago to examine the possibility of redistricting the entire county.
"It wasn't viable," said Janssen. There were transportation issues, and tight-knit communities that didn't want to see their children bused.
Janssen also questioned the wisdom of trying to put a school in Mays Chapel Park "after what we went through" earlier — a reference to the community uprising that took place in 2007 when the board tried to relocate the Ridge Ruxton School there.
Residents who feared noise and traffic, as well as the loss of passive park space in the heavily developed area, defeated the project. More than 2,000 Mays Chapel residents signed a petition opposing construction of the school.
Calder responded that, "times have changed and circumstances have changed."
Tuesday's discussion was just the beginning of deliberations to come on the capacity numbers and consideration of a new school. No decisions were made.
In light of the general overcrowding, board President Lawrence Schmidt said the county has had problems with students who don't belong because they live outside the boundaries of a school district, or in other jurisdictions. He suggested that plays a part in crowding issue.
"It is incumbent on us to make sure they belong there legally, by law," he said.